Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), a member of the Congressional Meth Caucus, voted today for legislation that will help protect N.C. families and communities from the dangers of methamphetamine labs.
The House passed H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007, by a vote of 462-2.
Etheridge cosponsored the legislation and helped lead the successful effort to pass it. The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency to develop health-based guidelines to help state and local authorities to clean up former meth lab sites. The legislation also authorizes $2.5 million in federal funding to carry out the bill’s provisions. The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
“Meth is a danger not just to users, but to the entire community it is found in. The chemicals used in making meth can be toxic to children and families in the households long after meth labs are shut down. This legislation will help to protect innocent families from the aftereffects of methamphetamine,” said Etheridge.
Meth can be made from common household items and two-thirds of all meth labs are found in residential settings. In 2005, agents in North Carolina shut down 322 methamphetamine labs. The chemicals used to make meth are toxic and can be explosive. Future residents of former meth labs may be unknowingly exposed to toxic chemicals. There are currently no health-based guidelines on how clean the site should be in order to be considered a safe living environment.
Etheridge has been a leading advocate in Congress of providing increased funding to fight methamphetamine. In August 2004, Etheridge held a Congressional summit with local first responders and representatives from local, state and federal agencies to discuss the growing problem of methamphetamine use in the 2nd Congressional District.
The House passed almost identical legislation in the 109th Congress, and the Senate passed similar legislation as well. The 109th Congress adjourned before the two differences in the two bills could be reconciled and sent to the President.